Chicken with Special Ginger and Scallion features tender, moist poached chicken topped with ribbons of scallions and a subtly flavored sauce, punctuated by occasional bites of sharp ginger. (Photo: TRACY SCHUHMACHER)

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Singapore Mein Fun is made with skinny rice noodles coated with a mildly spicy curry powder.Chicken, small shrimp, scallions, onions, green bell pepper and other goodies are included in the dish.(Photo: TRACY SCHUHMACHER)

Several area Chinese restaurants have a standard menu for American customers, and another — formal or not — for Asian immigrants and families.

There might be some "secret" dishes at the New Cantonese Restaurant in Henrietta, but its menu of 150-plus dishes includes all the expected dishes plus some delicacies that many people might find squeamish, or at least alien.

A reliable source told me that the restaurant serves the best authentic Cantonese in town, so four of us went to investigate, planning to try familiar favorites plus something outside our American comfort zone.

The first impressions were far from inviting. The restaurant moved from a South Winton Road location last summer. It is now the lone restaurant on a street, off West Henrietta Road, of nondescript office buildings and warehouses.

The entrance is through a vestibule that appeared to be a disorderly storage room. The dining room is bright but spartan, with decorative items amassed around the cash register.

Even though I had done some research, I had a hard time discerning which dishes would be authentic, and I asked our server several questions. He either deferred or steered me toward lo mein and fried rice, because, he said, that's what Americans like.

After we ordered, he muttered in a bemused manner, "I've never had a customer ask so many questions." We couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction.

We started with appetizers. Crescent-shaped pan-fried dumplings were the best of the three. They were pan fried to a crispy golden brown, with a flavorful pork filling and a salty dipping sauce floating with scallions. The egg roll and scallion pancakes were both oily.

We fared better with the main courses, which we shared.

We enjoyed the moo shu pork, which is similar in concept to a burrito. You top a tortilla-like pancake with a smear of hoisin sauce and a filling of pork and veggies, and roll it up. The filling was heavier on the cabbage than other versions I've had, but was fresh tasting and crunchy.

Singapore Mein Fun was made with skinny rice noodles, similar to angel hair pasta, coated with a mildly spicy curry powder. Tangled among the tasty noodles were chicken, small shrimp, scallions, onions, green bell pepper and other goodies.

We all loved the Shanghai bok choy with XO sauce. The whole baby bok choy was perfectly cooked, with soft leaves and tender-crisp stems. It was topped with XO sauce, which is made of chopped dried seafood and seasonings. It reminded us of the flavor and texture of bacon bits.

Our attempt at authentic Cantonese was Chicken with Special Ginger and Scallion. A half of a poached chicken was cut with a cleaver — bones, skin and all — into small pieces. The skin was softer than is my preference, but the meat underneath was tender, moist and flavorful. It was topped with ribbons of scallions and a subtly flavored, viscous sauce, punctuated by occasional bites of sharp ginger. It was unlike anything I've had at a Chinese restaurant, and was beautifully prepared.

Our round table was filled with heaping platters of food. We all drank water or tea but were still astounded that the tab, not including tip, was just $56 for the four of us.

By the end of the meal, our waiter took a liking to the inquisitive American ladies, pointing out his grandchildren, who were in the dining room, and telling us animatedly about his children. While we only understood a fraction of what he said, his parental pride transcended language barriers.

The New Cantonese Restaurant represents a great opportunity to explore more facets of Chinese cuisine at a reasonable price.